by " Feb 3, 2006 at 06:13 AM


If you were never a "dumbass kid" than you are a better man than I.

I've had my share of dopey stunts, believe me... But I would have never
done anything as dumb as stealing an airplane, especially without a
license. To me that tops the "Stupid Teenager Tricks" list. Plus,
anytime something like this happens the knee-jerk anti-GA types (like
Skylune) crow about the lack of security at airports etc. and the
unknowing public has yet another reason to think small planes are evil.

"Knee jerk"? "Evil" small planes? Hardly. Just how is the public
supposed to act when these things happen a few times a year? The AOPA
will tell you the airport watch program is the solution, even though it
keeps happening.

If GA were "evil," I wouldn't fly in the 172 at all. There are definite
problems, thats for sure, which the AOPA constantly tries to dismiss,
rather than address. That is because addressing them would cost money,
and pilots are so used to flying in large part on the taxpayers' dime.